Mark Podwal is a celebrated artist whose work is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Israel Museum, among many others. He may have been best known initially for his drawings on the New York Times Op-Ed page. In addition, he is the author and illustrator of numerous books. Most of these works-Podwal's own as well as those he has illustrated for others-typically focus on Jewish legend, history, and tradition. In 1995, the French government named Podwal an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters.